Choosing High-Quality Beef for Tasty Burgers

There is no end to the number of delicious burgers you can make, however here are 12 that will make your mouth water.

J. Kenji Lpez-Alt composes a column for The New York Times on food and science, and he establishes dishes and appears in videos for NYT Cooking. He is also the developer and host of Kenji's Cooking Show on YouTube.

Credit ... Adam CentrellaAs an expert chef, food writer and cookbook author, I have actually spent the last 20 years of my career rigorously investigating and checking dishes, techniques and commonly accepted cooking area knowledge to figure out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I have actually operated numerous burger joints and even composed a regular monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Laboratory, in which I separated and tested every possible variable that can affect the taste and texture of a hamburger.

That does not imply you can't intend for something much better. Here are the most important ideas I've discovered for enhancing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the cooking area. Working ground beef too much can trigger it to become thick. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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In bread, this can be a good idea, however with burgers, overhandling can produce an undesirable dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or additional flavoring, like onions and herbs, likewise forces you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef taste, so skip it.) Salting the beyond your patties keeps their texture loose and tender.

This is an excellent thing in sausages, which must have a firm texture, however with burgers, you desire looseness. A burger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to gather.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Browning your patties deeply makes the most of taste. Credit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a huge hamburger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a frying pan, browning is flavor, and high heat is essential. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait till your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and prepare them until they're well browned on both sides.

This makes the most of flavor while preserving juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to consuming a lot quicker. Credit ... Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties relax on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have actually had a chance to drip out.

Smash BurgersCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Restaurant BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Thick Yard BurgerCredit ... Ryan Liebe for The New York City Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Follow,,, and.

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Upgraded May 7, 2026, 8:42 a.m. CTI've always been a hamburger enthusiast. Maturing, I 'd happily chew them down at sit-down restaurants and from the drive-thru getting back from gymnastics practice. I 'd squish the soft bun and let ketchup dribble down the sides over my fingers. If there were any little melty American cheese leavings stuck on the wrapper, I 'd drag my french fries through them (I still do this).

Catch me on the best day and I may admit that a cheeseburger is my preferred food. Even if you do, it's most likely we do not have the exact same concept of what makes the perfect hamburger.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I kept some old favorites, included some brand-new ones and continued to leave off the ones I understand people like however I simply. Perhaps I haven't attempted your favorite burger. Perhaps I'm out to get you (just joking).

There's one perfect burg out there for everyone. Let me share with you what makes the perfect hamburger for me. Let's start with the patty. Can I state I'm growing a little tired of smashburgers? The best ones unbelievely remain juicy with simply a hint of flaky char around the edges, however regrettably, a lot of places go too hard on the smash.

When I bite in, I need to see a little shimmer, some glowing from the beef and perhaps a little grease running down the sides. When I see a smashburger on the menu, I constantly choose a double patty. Smashburger or not, the patty should be seared to help secure the juices, however not too crusty.